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Best Colorado Deals:
Dedicated to independent shoppers and retailers
Direct to you from Janet Simons, author of “The Colorado Smart Shopper” and veteran Rocky Mountain News shopping columnist. Be sure to catch Janet’s deals, highlighted each Friday on the 4 p.m. KUSA Channel 9 news broadcast.
Best Colorado Deals needs your support
The Best Colorado Deals newsletter project has made it into the semifinals of the James L. and John S. Knight Foundation’s News Challenge, a grant program to support “innovative ideas that develop platforms, tools and services to inform and transform community news, conversations and information distribution and visualization.” Our proposal -- along with proposals from 221 other semi-finalists – can be seen on the foundation’s Web site. You can boost our chance of success and learn a lot about our plans if you read it – and, better yet, leave some positive feedback. To help, enter http://apply.newschallenge.org in your browser. When the page opens, click on "Read and Comment" and register to make comments. Enter “Best Colorado Deals” in the search box, and have at it. Knight will announce its choices for the 50 finalists on Feb. 15 – so hurry! And thanks!
Start a chili verde Super Bowl tradition
Super Bowl Sunday is almost here, and it’s a great time to serve green chili. For a memorable green chili that fills your house with wonderful aromas as the game plays, buy the best ingredients. A bushel of frozen roasted chiles – that’s about 17 pounds -- runs from around $23, for the gentle kind, to $35 or $40 for the kind that will melt the wax in your ears. You can buy them at the Chili Guys, 5501 Federal Blvd., (at I-76), 303-455-4030, the largest distributor of green chiles in Colorado. Want a 20 percent discount on your purchase? Just tell owner Aeron Calkin that you heard about the offer from Best Colorado Deals or go to our Web site and print a copy of the Chili Guys’ coupon. Need a great green chili recipe? Check out Denvergreenchili.com/SuperBowlPartyRecipes.
Keep your tootsies warm in clearance and shoes
Winter shoe and boot clearances abound right now, but, as pundit Nora Ephron observes, “A shoe that doesn’t fit in the store won’t ever fit.” So don’t settle. If you don’t find the perfect shoe, keep looking. Here are a couple of great places to begin.
Prices on winter comfort shoes and boots from such makers as Munroe, Naot, Mephisto, Dansko, Blondo, Keen and Finn Comfort are reduced by 25 percent to 50 percent through Feb. 21 at Dardano’s Footwear, 1550 S. Colorado Blvd., 303-692-9355. On the high side, one pair of men’s shoes from Footprints, originally $345, was $172.50. On the low side, adorable children’s Smart Wool hat and mitten sets, originally $30, are $15.
At Sole Foods, 6851 S. Gaylord Street #253, in the Streets at Southglenn, 303-703-3855, www.solefoodshoes.com, the fall and winter clearance features discounts of up to 70 percent on winter shoes and boots from Ugg, Tsubo, Gentle Souls, Patagonia, OTBT, Matisse, Franco Sarto, Haflinger, The North Face, Sorel and more. The clearance continues until all winter stock is sold.
Got kids?
It couldn’t hurt to stock up on gifts for those upcoming 2010 birthday parties, so check out the clearance corner at one of the metro area’s three Timbuk Toys, Timbuktoys.com. Toys from such makers as Ripstik, Breyer, Calico Critters and Corolle are discounted by 10 percent to 75 percent. Find Timbuk Toys at 2780 S. Colorado Blvd., University Hills, 303-756-2522; 200 Quebec St., Lowry Town Center, 303-366-1755; and at 9315 Dorchester St., Highlands Ranch, 303-346-3030.
Fall and winter clothing and shoes are half price during the winter clearance at Petite Patoot, 1238 S. Broadway, 303-733-3337, petitepatoot.com.
Here’s how a “you scratch my back” sale works. Wednesday, Feb. 3, through Friday, Feb. 5, go to Aurora’s Consignment Row – the three stores at 15250 to 15256 E. Hampden Ave. (at South Chambers Road) in Aurora. Purchase some consignment children’s clothing or gear at Little Tykes Trading Post, 720-870-7191, Littletykestradingpost.com, or some women’s consignment clothing at Celine’s Designer Resale Boutique, 303-680-5544, www.celeinesboutique.com. Show the receipts at Leta’s Loot consignment home furnishings for a 10 percent discount on your purchase. The receipt must be from the same day and is not valid with any other offer.
Ready for Cupid?
If not, you can start getting ready right away at Sassy Stuff’s February Frenzy Open House, 2 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 8578 Forrest Lane, Highlands Ranch, 303-471-1048. You’ll find sweet deals on knock-off and sample women’s clothing, accessories, purses, wallets, travel accessories, gifts and home decor. For more information, go to www.shopsassystuff.com.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day shopping, the entire collection of Pandora jewelry and beads goes on clearance at half price on Friday, Feb. 6, at Pine Creek Clothing, 1099 S. Gaylord St., 303-733-4848. The selection ranges from $25 charm beads to $500 gold charms and also includes rings, necklaces and earrings. The sale continues until the Pandora line is sold out.
Ultra-Legs, 3444 S. Broadway, 303-761-3705, ultra-legs.com, offers a huge array of Valentine-worthy merchandise, including white wedding gowns, red lace bustiers and everything in between. Through Feb. 14, all hosiery is reduced by 10 percent to 25 percent, consignment wedding dresses from David’s Bridal are $199 apiece, and winter gloves, originally $16, are $5 a pair. Not quite what you had in mind? Costumes, some suitable for sexy valentines, originally $49 to $79, are half price. Then there’s the store’s regularly priced stock of red lingerie, gowns, boas and thigh-high boots. Still not it? Ask. They’ll order it.
Get a head start on chocolate consumption at Historic Olde Town Arvada’s Ninth Annual Chocolate Affair, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. Giant hearts will be posted throughout the area at West 57th Avenue and Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, and the free family event from the Arvada Festivals Commission and Historic Olde Town Arvada Association also features Chocolate Therapist Julie Pech, a Taste of Chocolate, the Chocolate Treasure Hunt, a Creative Chocolate Cookie Contest, face painting by Mrsfrog.com, balloon artistry by Doofus the Clown; storytelling and other kids’ activities.
Tickets to purchase a toothsome array of cocoa-based treats are $1 apiece or six for $5. Proceeds benefit the Arvada Ralston House. Last year’s Taste of Chocolate raised more than $2,000 to help the organization provide a safe place for some 500 children and their families to begin the healing process.
Sales continue at two great local furniture stores
At Modern Bungalow, 2594 S. Colorado Blvd., 303-300-3332, modernbungalow.com, prices on entertainment pieces from Trend Manor, Simply Amish, Anthony Lauren and Arts & Crafts Industries reduced by 30 percent through Feb. 14.
At Howard Lorton Galleries, 12 E. 12th Ave., 303-831-1212, www.HowardLorton.com, through Feb. 15, prices on all upholstered furniture purchased in the store, including clearance items, are reduced by another 10 percent, for discounts of up to 70 percent off original prices.
Spread the word about the great deals you’ve found at locally owned retailers by sending an e-mail to Janet@bestcoloradodeals.com, and go to the BestColoradoDeals.com Web site to subscribe to the Best Colorado Deals newsletter. And don’t forget to catch her featured deals each Friday on Channel 9’s 4 p.m. news!
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Best Colorado Deals